Dr. Channing L. Collins Selected as Empowered Woman of the Year by IAOTP

The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) will honor Dr. Channing L. Collins at their Annual Awards Gala in NYC at the Plaza Hotel

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, September 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP), a premier global organization renowned for its exclusive membership, rigorous selection process, and prestigious annual awards gala, has selected Dr. Channing L. Collins, PhD, MDR, MLS, as Empowered Woman of the Year for 2026.

Inclusion with the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) is an honor; only a few women are chosen for this distinction based on their years of experience, professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, and contributions to their communities. These women empower others through innovation, courage, compassion, and the example they set for future generations. Dr. Collins will be honored for this distinction at IAOTP’s 2026 Annual Awards Gala at the iconic Plaza Hotel in New York City in December 2026.
www.iaotp.com/award-gala

For Dr. Collins, the meaning of empowerment reaches beyond professional titles or recognition. It is rooted in the ability to endure adversity, rebuild after uncertainty, reclaim one’s purpose, and refuse to diminish the significance of what it took to arrive on the other side. Her journey has included seasons of profound challenge and starting again, experiences that ultimately strengthened her conviction that women should be able to acknowledge both the people who helped them and the strength they summoned within themselves.

“Confidence and humility are not enemies,” Dr. Collins said. “Humility allows me to acknowledge every person who helped carry me. Confidence allows me to acknowledge that I also carried myself.”

That philosophy has shaped the way Dr. Collins approaches leadership, scholarship, entrepreneurship, and her own accomplishments. She believes women are too often encouraged to succeed while simultaneously being cautioned not to appear too proud of that success—to be confident, but not too visible; accomplished, but careful not to make others uncomfortable in the telling. A sentiment expressed by former Vice President Kamala Harris—that many women are “not aspiring to be humble”—resonated with Dr. Collins because it challenged the expectation that women must make themselves smaller in order to be accepted.

Dr. Collins’ own words capture the heart of what this recognition represents to her: “I did not work this hard to become smaller in the telling.” For her, empowerment is not the absence of humility. It is the freedom to own one’s work, intellect, resilience, femininity, ambition, and accomplishments without apology. It is also the courage to create space rather than wait for permission when that space has not been offered.

The President of IAOTP, Stephanie Cirami, stated, “We are honored to have Dr. Channing L. Collins as part of the IAOTP family. What makes this recognition especially meaningful is not only what she has accomplished professionally, but the strength, confidence, and resilience behind those accomplishments. Dr. Collins represents a woman who has rebuilt, created, led, and refused to make herself smaller in the process. She is an extraordinary example of what it means to own your voice, your purpose, and your success, and we look forward to celebrating her at the Annual Awards Gala.”

With more than a decade of experience spanning frontline practice, executive leadership, mediation, policy analysis, implementation strategy, and organizational transformation, Dr. Collins has established herself as a nationally respected child welfare scholar-practitioner, systems reform strategist, and policy architect. Yet her professional achievements also reflect something deeply personal: the decision to transform difficult chapters into the foundation for meaningful work.

That rebuilding is embodied in The Collins Institute for Child & Family Systems, which Dr. Collins founded and leads as Founder and Lead Architect. The Institute represents the convergence of her scholarship, professional experience, entrepreneurial vision, and commitment to creating stronger systems for children and families. Through its work, she bridges policy design and operational implementation and develops evidence-informed approaches intended to strengthen decision-making, accountability, workforce stability, family preservation, and sustainable systems reform.

Among the Institute’s work are the Elizabeth Ophelia Child & Family Governance Framework, the 12-Point Child Welfare Reform Framework, the Collins Imminent Harm Standard (CIHS), and the Family Systems Innovation Lab (FSIL). Together, these initiatives reflect Dr. Collins’ broader philosophy of Define. Design. Deliver.—moving beyond identifying systemic problems to designing and implementing practical solutions.

Prior to founding The Collins Institute for Child & Family Systems, Dr. Collins held numerous leadership positions across the public and nonprofit child welfare sectors. Her experience across frontline practice and executive leadership has enabled her to understand complex systems from multiple perspectives and has informed her work as a scholar, strategist, mediator, and entrepreneur.

Dr. Collins earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice, specializing in Law and Public Policy, from Walden University and holds a Master of Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University. She is completing her Master’s of Legal Studies from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, further strengthening her expertise in legal analysis, public policy, regulatory compliance, and governance.

In addition to her professional leadership, Dr. Collins is an accomplished scholar whose research examines child welfare governance, implementation science, racial disparities, legal decision-making, and public policy. Her work has been published in the Journal of Public Child Welfare and featured nationally in Youth Today, The Imprint, and Children’s Voice, contributing to broader conversations surrounding child welfare reform.

Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Collins has been recognized for her accomplishments, leadership, scholarship, and contributions to systems change. In 2026, IAOTP selected her as Top Child Welfare Change Maker of the Year, recognizing her professional work and impact in child welfare. Her newest distinction, Empowered Woman of the Year, intentionally recognizes a different dimension of her story: the woman behind the work and the resilience, confidence, courage, and self-determination that helped make that work possible. She is also being considered for a feature in TIP (Top Industry Professionals) Magazine and will be honored at IAOTP’s Annual Awards Gala this December at The Plaza Hotel in New York City.

For Dr. Collins, empowerment also means preserving one’s individuality while occupying spaces of influence. She has long been inspired by the old-Hollywood confidence associated with Marilyn Monroe and by the broader idea that a woman should never have to surrender her femininity, individuality, or sense of self in order to be respected for her intellect or taken seriously as a leader. The message is especially fitting for an honor celebrating women who lead on their own terms.

Looking back, Dr. Collins does not define her story solely by professional milestones. She defines it by the willingness to rebuild, the courage to continue through uncertainty, the discipline to turn scholarship into action, and the confidence to acknowledge what she has created. Her story is a reminder that circumstances can bring a woman to one of the lowest points of her life without determining where her story ends.

Looking ahead, Dr. Collins remains committed to advancing meaningful systems change through scholarship, entrepreneurship, policy, and implementation. Just as importantly, she hopes her journey encourages other women to claim their accomplishments fully, create space when none is offered, and recognize that resilience is not simply surviving what happened—it is deciding what to build next.

“I did not work this hard to become smaller in the telling.”

For more information, please visit: https://collinsinstituteconsulting.org

About IAOTP

The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) is an international boutique networking organization that selects distinguished and accomplished professionals across a wide range of industries. These professionals are provided opportunities to collaborate, share insights, serve as keynote speakers, and inspire others within their fields. Membership is not open to the general public. Candidates must be personally invited by the President or nominated by an esteemed honorary member following a brief interview.

IAOTP’s experts have provided thousands of professionals worldwide with recognition and opportunities to strengthen their personal brands and expand their influence. The organization prides itself on its selective approach and on bringing accomplished individuals together on a premier platform designed to foster meaningful connections and professional growth.

For more information on IAOTP, please visit: iaotp.com

Annette Natoli
IAOTP
+1 212-634-4427
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube

Media gallery